Switch box



SWITCH BOX Filed Aug. 16. 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 nventoz F. M. CROSSLEY SWITCH BOX Filed Aug. le.

1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 nyc/5j] @055/9 vicine/1,6

Nov. Z4 1925- Patented Nov. 24, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANCIS M. CROSSLEY, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN; CORA AURELIA CROSSLEY GUARDIAN OF SAID FRANCIS M. CROSSLEY, INCOMPETENT PERSON.

swrroii Box.

Application filed August 16, 1924. Serial No. 732,442.

To ZZ/whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANCIS M. CnossLn-Y,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Detroit, in the county of Vayne and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Switch Boxes, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings. V This invention relates to improvements in switch boxes for the purpose of determining the positive positioning of the tongue or tongues of a switch point in a railroad, having more particular reference to arrangements such as that described in Letters Patent of the United States No. 1,360,270, granted to me Nov. 30, 1920, or No. 1,430,952, granted to me Oct. 3, 1922.

In the said prior patent is disclosed switch tongue retaining means wherein a switch retaining member in the form of a spring clip engages a head carried by a slide bar extending from the tongue of a rail in such manner that the said head is secured in either a forward or a retracted position relative to the said retaining member and thus determines the position of the switch tongue.

Inow propose, and it is an object of this invention,` to provide for the adjustment of the said retaining member, within the switch box housing the said retaining member, in order that the device may be easily adapted to various conditions as to location or relation to the switch tongue as may be met with in different installations.

It is also an object of the said invention to provide an adjustable support for the retaining member in order to facilitate the adjustment of the said member and to ensure the effectual supporting thereof in its adjusted positions; and the invention still further aims to provide for variation of the operating positions of the said head within the l said housing according to requirements.

`A still further object is to provide a box of this type which is adapted to the housing of different forms of retaining mechanism or members so that the working parts of the switch box may be varied according to requirements and the useful scope of the said box thereby increased.

Still further objects subsidiary to or rej sulting from the aforesaid objects, or from the construction or operation of the invention as it may be carried into effect, will become apparent as the said invention is hereinafter further disclosed.

In carrying the said invention into effect l may utilize a switch box or housing for a retaining member such as of the type referred to, in which box various means are provided for the engaging or securing of parts in different adjusted positions therewithin, and more particularly for facilitating the adjustment of the switch retaining member or members relative to the cooperating head of a slide bar extending from the tongue of a railway switch, and a retaining member support adjustable as to position within the said box whereby the active end of the said retaining member may be set at any desirable distance from the front of the box; means being also provided in the said box for the reception of different types of retaining members. All of which is more particularlyrdescribed and ascertained hereinafter, by way of example, having reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure 1 is a plan of a street railway switch illustrating the application of my invention to the tongue thereof;

Figure 2 is a vertical section of the same taken on the line 2-2X Figure l;

Figure 3 is a plan' view of the arrangement shown in Figure 2 partly in section and with the cover of the switch box removed to disclose the interior mechanism;

Figure 4c is a perspective view of the switch box with all the mechanism and the cover removed therefrom;

Figure 5 is a perspective view of a retaining member support;

Figure 6 is a plan of the switch box with the cover removed showing the interior mechanism in one of its adjusted positions;

Figure is a similar view to Figure 1 illustrating an arrangement of the invention as applied to a steam railroad construction;

Figure 8 is a vertical section of the same taken on the line 8"--8X Figure 7, and

Figure 9 is a similar view to Figure 4 illustrating the manner of housing the forms of retaining members embodied in the arrangement shown in Figure 7.

Similar characters of reference indicate similar parts in the several figures of the drawing. Figures 2, 3, 6 and 8 are drawn to a larger scale than Figures 1 and 7 and Figures 4, 5, and 9 are drawn to a still larger scale.

Having reference to Figures 1 to 6; 1 indicates a switch tongue movable in a switch mate 2 and having a downwardly projecting lug 3 extending through an orifice 4 in the said mate into the chamber 5, the lateral walls of the said chamber being provided with openings G. Opposite and, in the example, contiguous to one of thesaid openings (i is a switch box or housing 7 provided with openings S in its ends and having a cover plaie 9 forming a closure for the top thereof. rifhe side walls of the said box have extending from the inner surfaces thereof a series of projections or ribs 10 kand the end walls, projections or ribs 11 and 12, the purpose of all of which is hereinafter further explained, and these projec* tions terminate Vbelow the top of the box and form supporting means for the cover plate 9. 13 are countersunk holes in the ends of the box to permit the securing of `the said box in the required position, such as by `means of the bolts 14 entering the walls of the mate.

The tongue retaining mechanism comprises a two-way snap switch-retaining member, suitably mounted in the box as will be further described, and comprising a spring clip of a U formation and having a base 16 from which forwardly extend arms l? having*converging end or active portions 8 between which a head 19 mounted upon the slide bar 2O .is adapted to pass in one or other direction when the tongue is operated. This slide bar extends through one of the openings G of the mato and through the opposed opening 8 of the box.

In operation, tle tongue is secured in position lying against one or other of the sides of the mate by reason of the contraction of the end portions 18 of the said retaining memberI against the resistance of the spring arms 17 when the said tongue is moved to one or other side of the mate as will be well understood.

Due to necessity or desirability the said box may not always be set at the same relative distance from the tongue consequently the head 19 may be disposed and operate in dili'erent positions within the box according to circun'istances. Or a shorter or longer slide bar may be desirable or other circumstances may iniiuence the operating position of the said head, and in Figure 5 the said head 19 is set closer to the front of the box than is the case in Figure 3. To permit the same box and retaining member to be used in such cases I provide for the adjustment of the position of the said retaining member within the box. This is accomplished through the agency of the ribs 10 forming recesses 2O therebetween which are adapted to receive a support 21 of the said retaining member in such manner that the said support may be received in opposed reesses in the sides of the box and at different points in the length thereof in order to determine the position of the active ends 18 of the said retaining member with respect vto the forward end of the box.

This support 21 is shown as having abutments 22 extending more or less around the base of the retaining member and a forward saddle portion 23 spaced therefrom and extending upwardly within the said base portion of the member whereby slots .or recesses are provided for the reception of the said member. 25 is an orifice in the upper part of the saddle through which a stud 26 may be passed for the purpose of securing the said member in place in the said support.

llt will be noted'tha-t the said saddle 23 is also provided with forwardly projecting abutments 2T so that one of the said supports may be inserted in the box behind the support which carries the retaining member as illustrated in Figure 6, the abutments 27 of the additional support bearing against the base of the said retaining member for the purpose of providing additional support therefor. Thus the said retaining member may be rigidly held in all of its ad justed positions.

Under some circumstances, such for instance the arrangement shown in Figures 7 to 9, a modified form of retaining member may be necessary or desirable to suit certain conditions; and in tl'iese figures l show the retaining member as comprising two spring plates 28 converging towards one another at their centers and having their ends housed in recesses 29 resulting from the spacing of the projections 11 and 12 on the end walls of the said box 7.

lt will be seen from these figures that the said box may be used as with the arrangement shown in Figures 1 to 6 and that the changing of the internal mechanism thereof such as in Figures 7 to 9, may be very readily effected, as all of the mounting of such internal mechanism within the said box is simply effected through the use ofthe recesses provided between the ribs on the walls thereof.

This invention may be developed kwithin the scope of the appended claims without departing from the essential features of the invention, and it is desired that the specifi cation and drawings be read as being merely illustrative and Anot in a limiting sense, except as necessitated by the prior art.

llilhat l claim is 1. In a device of the class described, a switch box`r switch retaining mechanism, and a plurality of ribs on the inner wallsfof said box, providinfT for the support ofsaid mechanism in different adjusted positions in said `iox.

2. In a device of the class described, a switch box, switch retaining mechanism including a switch retaining` member, and a support therefor, said support and said i'etaining mechanism being adjustable together as to position longitudinallj7 of said box.

3. In a device of the cla-ss described, a switch box, switch retaining mechanism including a switch retaining member, and a support therefor, and a series of means for the engagement of said support within said box, said support being adjustable longitudinally of said box by engagement with one or other of said means.

4. In a device of the class described, a switch box, switch retaining mechanism including a switch retaining member, and a support therefor, and a series of support engaging means arranged along the inner sides of said box for the adjustable positioning of said support.

5. In a device of the class described, a switch box having a plurality of projecting ribs on the inner sides thereof, a switch retaining member, and a support therefor adapted to be adjustably engaged and positioned bv said ribs.

In testimony whereof I afix my signature.

FRANCIS M. GROSSLEY. 

